Method of packaging



Feb. 28, 1956 J. M. MARSHALL METHOD OF PACKAGING Filed Feb. 11. 1952 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. J0///V M. MFJ/V/MA ffiQ/Vf);

Feb. 28, 1956 J, M. MARSHALL METHOD OF PACKAGING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledFeb. 11, 1952 I N VEN TOR. ,f/V/V M MAPSWALL United States Patent 9"METHOD OF PACKAGENG John M. Marshall, Patehogue', N. Y., assignor toKraft Foods Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of DelawareApplication February 11, 1952, Serial No. mom

1 Claim. c1. saw-m veniently served in package form by restaurants,railroads and airlines. The packages prepared in accordance with mymethod may also be used for containing a variety of other materials andsubstances, particularly Where such materials and substances aredistributed in sample quantities.

It is an object of the invention to provide a method of packagingwhereby substantially sealed packages are constructed which maynevertheless be opened easily and without special implements.

It is another object of the invention to provide a package which issimple and inexpensive to manufacture a simple and inexpensive methodfor manufacturing and filling packages.

Still other objects will be obvious from the following description. Apreferred method of packaging will now be described with reference tothe accompanying drawings and the features forming the invention willthen be pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fiat view of one end of a blank strip suitable for formingthe package of the invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic perspective illustrating the method of formingthe package;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the completed package on an enlarged scale,with part of the cover broken away to show the structure below;

Figures 4 and 5 are sections on the respective lines 44 and 5-5 ofFigure 3;

Figures 6 and 7 are views similar to Figure 4, but illustratingformation of the package under different conditions; and

Figure 8 is a perspective showing the manner in which the package isopened.

The package may conveniently be formed from a strip 1 of suitableplastic, thermoplastics being preferred, and plastic, such as a vinylchloride acetate (Vinylite) being suitable. Successive lengths l areformed into containers and then cut off from the strip 1 as describedbelow.

The method of forming the package is indicated schematically in Figure2. The strip 1 is subjected to the action of heat, pressure and suitableforming dies to form a succession of cups having side walls 3 andbottoms 4, a margin 2 of undeformed strip material being left aroundthese cups. The cups may now be filled with jam or jelly 5 or with otherdesired material and the cover 6 applied as from a roll 7. The covermaterial is preferably a relatively elastic plastic material such as arubber hydrochloride (Pliofilm) and is sealed to the border strip 2surrounding the individual cups containing the material 5 by theapplication of heat and of the package.

2,736,656 Patented Feb. 28, 1956 pressure. Thereafter, the cup packagesas formed are severed from the strip, as indicated in the case of theright hand package in Figure 2, and are ready for shipment and use.

It is preferred that the heat sealing of the cover 6 to the borderflange 2 of the package extend over a wide surface area (roughly fromthe phantom line '10 of Figure 3 outwardly to the edge of the border 2).The two plastic materials involved being immiscible under ordinaryconditions, the seal may be formed under suitable heat and pressure soas to provide a hermetic seal and yet permit peeling cover 6 from borderflange 2 without difliculty and without tearing the cover. The coverstrip 6 is preferably slightly wider than the strip 1 so as to overlapat least one edge of the border 2 of the package, as indicated at 8,thus facilitating gripping with the fingers for opening the package bypeeling off the cover in the manner indicated in Figure 8. The cover mayalso overlap slightly at the opposite edge, as indicated at 9, it beingpreferable to use a slight excess width of cover material in order toavoid reduction in the sealed area between the cover and the borderflange 2 Along the other two sides of the package the co-ver and flange2 are sheared off flush with each other. This shearing action tends tocreate a sharp corner capable of inflicting a serious cut. However,since the cover 6 and edge of the border flange 2 are flush along twoedges, and the edge of the cover 6 protrudes over the edge of borderflange 2 along edge 8, the natural method of opening as indicated inFigure 8 eliminates, to all intents and purposes, any possibility ofinjury on a sharp corner.

The package should be made from a blank 1 of relatively thin material.In the case of a package which is two inches square in its maximumdimensions, material about one one hundredth of an inch in thickness orsomewhat less is found suitable. In the drawing, the walls 3 and bottom4 of the cup which is formed will have a combined area about double thearea of the blank material out of which they are drawn, so that the sidewalls I 3 and bottom 4 of the cup'are reduced on the average to aboutone half the thickness of the original blank 1 and of the surroundingflange 2. The bottom 4 and adjacent lower part of the side walls 3 willnormally be somewhat less than half the thickness of the original blankand may be about three to five thousandths of an inch in thickness. ThePliofilm cover 6 is preferably even thinner and may be around twothousandths of an inch or somewhat less in thickness.

It will be understood that the cup formed from the blank need not besquare or rectangular in shape, but may be circular or of any otherconvenient shape which may be preferred. it will also be understood thatthe depth to which the cup is drawn may be varied somewhat, as foraccommodating a half ounce, three-quarter ounce or one ounce of materialin a container of the size indicated.

Where jams or jellies are being packaged, it is preferred to fill thepackage with the material at about F. instead of the much highertemperatures heretofore used in packaging such materials. Figure 6illustrates schematically the cooling. of a container filled asindicated in Figure 4, the condensation of water vapor and contractionof the air concaving the top 6 as indicated and also the bottom 4 andwalls 3 of the cup. It is found that the package withstands theresulting concaving without difliculty and may be shipped without anyunusual or special precautions and stored for relatively long periods oftime. the package will withstand refrigeration where desired,

the resulting further contraction of the air space above In particular,it is found that the contents causing no difficulty. It has been foundthat the package will also withstand reduction of exterior pressure,such as is encountered in flight at altitudes of five to ten thousandfeet, the cover 6 bulging upward and the walls 3 and 4 also bulging to asmaller extent as necessary, without producing any harmful separation ofthe cover 6 from the flange 2 or impairing the seal.

Despite the fact that the closure between the cover 6 and flange 2 ofthe package is hermetic and will withstand all normal serviceconditions, the cover may be peeled off, starting with one edge or sideas indicated in Figure 8, with no ditficulty, thus making the packagevery convenient in use.

It will be understood that while only a few cups have been shown inFigure 2, there may be large numbers of such cups in the strip in thevarious stages of manufacture, as indicated, as is found convenient inparticular manufacturing operations.

This application is a continuation in part of my prior applicationSerial No. 152,958, filed March 30, 1950, which issued as Patent No.2,649,392.

What is claimed is:

The method of packaging individual food servings which comprises formingan elongated first strip of thermoplastic material into a longitudinallyspaced series of cups while leaving a horizontally extending borderflange about each cup, successively filling the cups with a foodmaterial, applying a continuous second strip of thermoplastic materialto said first strip to provide covers for said cups and border flanges,the width of said second strip being greater than the width of saidfirst strip, so that an edge portion of said second strip extends beyonda marginal edge of said first strip, heat sealing said second strip tosaid first strip along said border flanges at a temperature such that alow strength hermetic seal is effected between said strips, and cuttingthe sealed strips transversely of said strips between said cups toprovide a plurality of individual sealed packages each having a coverwhich includes an edge portion extending beyond a marginal edge of theassociated border flange, said extending portion providing a finger gripfor peeling said cover from said associated border flange.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS571,521 Heberline et a1 Nov. 17, 1896 1,689,018 Froidevaux s Oct. 23,1928 1,995,712 Irvine Mar. .26, 1935 2,012,529 Eldredge Aug. 27, 19352,155,445 Pittenger et al Apr. 25, 1939 2,276,744 Smith et al Mar. 17,1942 2,452,218 Bemis Oct. 26, 1948 2,513,852 Donafrio July 4, 19502,527,919 Drangle Oct. 31, 1950 2,530,306 Land Nov. 14, 1950 2,553,513Denison et al. May 15, 1951 2,649,392 Marshall Aug. 18, 1953

